Puritans on the Jews
From A Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations, by I.D.E. Thomas
Will they return home?
The Jews shall be gathered from all parts of the earth where they now are scattered, and brought home into their homeland. (John Owen)
Will they turn to Christ?
The Jews are not yet come in under Christ’s banner; but God, that hath persuaded Japheth to come into the tents of Shem, will persuade Shem to come into the tents of Japheth. (Genesis 9:27) (Richard Sibbes)
The faithful Jews rejoiced to think of the calling of the Gentiles; and why should not we joy to think of the calling of the Jews? (Richard Sibbes)
By such a miraculous apparition of Christ from heaven was St. Paul converted: and I hope it is no heresy to think, that the whole nation of the Jews, those zealots against Christ, may be converted by as strange a means as was that one zealot of their nation. (Joseph Meade)
The Lord saith, “All nations shall be blessed in Abraham.” Hence I gather that the nation of the Jews shall be called, and converted to the participation of this blessing: when and how, God knows; but that it shall be done before the end of the world we know. (William Perkins)
The end of this world shall not be till the Jews are called, and how long after that none yet can tell. (Elnathan Parr)
There will come a time when the generality of mankind, both Jew and Gentile, shall come to Jesus Christ. (Thomas Goodwin)
As at the first coming of Christ, so at the overthrow of Antichrist, the conversion of the Jews, there will be much joy. (Richard Sibbes)
They forget a main point of the Church’s glory, who pray not daily for the conversion of the Jews. (Robert Leighton)
Oh to see the sight, next to Christ’s coming in the clouds, the most joyful! Our elder brethren the Jews and Christ fall upon one another’s necks and kiss each other. (Samuel Rutherford)
Their mission?
There is not any promise anywhere of raising up a kingdom unto the Lord Christ in this world but it is either expressed, or clearly intimated, that the beginning of it must be with the Jews. (John Owen)
Undoubtedly, that people of the Jews shall once more be commanded to arise and shine, and their return shall be the riches of the Gentiles (Romans 11:12), and that shall be a more glorious time than ever the Church of God did yet behold. (Robert Leighton)
The casting off of the Jews, was our calling; but the calling of the Jews shall not be our casting off, but our greater enriching in grace, and that two ways: First, in regard of the company of believers, when the thousands of Israel shall come in, which shall doubtless cause many Gentiles which now lie in ignorance, error and doubt, to receive the Gospel and join with them. . . . Secondly, in respect of the graces, which shall then in more abundance be rained down upon the Church. (Elnathan Parr)